Device for underground watering and fertilizing



Oct. 8, 1935. D, 5 BRUCE 2,0l6,983

DEVICE FOR UNDERGROUND WATERING AND FERTILIZING Filed Oct. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z3 40 r l r B 24 y Inventor Attorney Oct. 8, 1935. D. s. BRUCE 2,016,933

DEVICE FOR UNDERGROUND WATERING AND FERTILIZING Filed Oct. 19, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Z0 iii/was,

2/2 IBNQMM Attorney Patented Oct. 8, 1935 DEVICE FOR UNDERGROUND WATERING AND FERTILIZING Dayton S. Bruce, Amarillo, Tex.

Application October 19, 1934, Serial No. 749,112

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for underground watering and fertilizing.

The primary objective of the invention is an apparatus to facilitate the work of fertilizing trees,

5- shrubbery, flowers and other vegetation by utilizing water pressure fro-m the city mains to apply powdered commercial fertilizer underground to the roots of the vegetation, or at other shallow depths below the surface of the earth thereby 10 obviating the necessity of digging numerous holes to retain the fertilizer.

Another salient feature of the invention is to provide twin mixing chambers arranged to furnish a circuitous path through the chambers to insure 15 a thorough mixture of the fertilizer with the water and at the same time utilizing the outer chamber for retaining the fertilizer.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the character referred to that is strong,

20 compact and durable, very easy to assemble and maintain in repair, that is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and thoroughly reliable for its intended use.

-With the foregoing and other objects in View the 25 invention consists of a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will hereinafter he more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specification, but it is to be understood that various modifica- 30 tions may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings; wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference char- 351. acters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:-

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged elevation of Figure 1 40 showing parts broken away, which broken por- 4 tions are revealed in detailed vertical section,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation illustrating how the present invention may be utilized for watering purposes alone,

45 Figure 4 is a detailed vertical section taken substantially on line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the valve,

Figure 6 is an enlarged elevation of the inner end of the ground piercing tube.

5 Referring to the drawings in detail, A indicates a cylindrical casing externally threaded at each end to receive the closure caps 1, '8. Extending through the center of the upper closure cap 1 is a threaded opening 9 which forms the inlet to the 55 interior of the cylinder. In the lower cap 8 there is a threaded outlet opening ID in alignment with the inlet opening 9. Inlet and outlet openings are disposed along the axis of the cylinder A.

There is a bushing II mounted in the threaded outlet opening l0,'which bushing is formed with interior and exterior threads. An inner sleeve I2 is mounted within the cylinder A by having threads I 3 on the lower end thereof engaging in a portion of the interior of the bushing I I. The upper end of sleeve l2 isspaced from the top of 10 the cylinder A, which space provides the passage l4, while the lower end of the tube is formed with spaced openings that form the passage l5.

The sleeve l2 divides the interior of cylinder A into outer mixing chamber l6 and innermixing chamber ll, while the passages I 4 and I5 form a communication between the chambers on the opposite sides of the middle of the sleeve thereby providing a circuitous path for the fluid that performs the mixing operation. It is pointed out that the inletIopening9, the outlet opening l0 and the axis of the sleeve I! are in alignment. An earth piercing tube I8 is formed with a point IE on its free end. The upper end of the earth piercing tube isthreaded as at 20 and sub-joining the thread is an outset annular shoulder 2 I. The upper threaded end 20 of the tube I8 is connected with the lower portion of the bushing II having thewasher: 22 clamped, between shoulder 2i and the end ofthe bushing to provide a fluid tight connection. The earth piercing tube I8 is also in alignment with the axis of cylinder A and the sleeve l 2 v. i .v V 7 Connected with the top of .the cylinder is an L-shaped fitting B including the horizontal tubular arm 23 and the tubular, verticalarm 24. The lower end of the vertical arm 24 is internally threaded as at 25 and externally threaded, which external thread is connected with the threaded inlet opening 9. Above the external thread on the lower end ofarm 24 is a shoulder 26 which clamps thewasher 21 to the top of the. cap 1 to form a fluid tight joint. On the outer end of the arm 23 there is a hose fitting 28 to receive the nose 29 that leads from the water service main having the customary pressure used in municipal water systems. When the device is used on the farm hose 29 may be connected to the house supply water service of individual pumping systems. At the juncture between tubular arm 23 and tubular arm 24 there is an enlarged valve chamber or pocket 30, the outer end of which is closed by a gland packing nut 3| formed with a central opening 32. A'valve plunger rod 33 extends farms and in cities. To operate the valve plung er 33 there is a right angled lever C having, 3,

horizontal leg 36 slidably arranged on the exterior of the vertical arm "24. Am 24 extends through the circular opening 31. Lever C is formed with spaced ears 38 on the free ends of the other leg 39 between which ears is piv otally connected on the 1311-- the outerend-of the plunger 33. Thus it will be seen that to open the valve 34 lever C is moved upwardly impart ing rocking movement to lever C which moves plunger33 "outwardly and opens the valve 34 thereby permitting water to pass'into the interior of cylinder A. e

In the construction'fof my device I may, utilize it for sub irrigation work by merely removing the'cylinder A and connecting the threadedupper end 20 of the rigid earth piercing tube It] to the threaded lower end 25 of the arm '24. In this latter event the-earth is pierced first'by' the point l9 and using the water pressure together with the weight of the device it is an easy operation to sink tube l8' in the earth to the desired depth. The sub-irrigation feature described herein is shown in the assembled'relation particularly in Figure 3 of the drawings wherein the cylinder A has been removed and the rigid earth piercing tube connecting directly to the vertical arm 24. V

When using the device for ahydraulic fertilizer distributor, the cap 1 is removed from cylinder A and the fertilizer inserted in outer chamber I6, Then the capfis placed on the cylinder and the water supply opened. The water will enter the cylinder 'throughtubulararm 24, pa s through the passa es ia d hena ae I 4. in a circuitous path contacting the fertilizer in the lower end of cylinder A and carrying the same in dissolved state or in suspension through the rigid earth piercing tube, l8into the grgund, Part of the water flows throughsl'eeve [Z and part of it goes into'the' chamber l6 wherelit mixes with the fertilizer. As the water flows from chamber 16 intochamber l'l through pase sages, l4, and IE it is mixed thev second time in chamber I! because the path of the water entering chamber I1 is at right anglesv to the flow through sleeve l2. Assoon as the chamber fills with water the pressure exerted causes a flow both through the passage l4 and thepassages l5, which being at right angles to the path through chamber ll causes a circuitous'course for the water that accomplishes a thorough mixture.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A hydraulic fertilizer distributor comprising an outer cylinder having an opening. at each end, a sleeve within the cylinder dividing'the same into an inner and outer mixing chamber, said sleeve provided with a free unimpeded passageon the opposite sides of the middle thereof forming a communication between the inner and outer chambers, a valve controlled inlet connected to one end of the outer cylinder, and an earth piercing tube connected to the other end of the outer cylinder.

2. A hydraulic fertilizer distributor comprising an outer cylinder having an opening at each end, a sleeve within the cylinder dividing the same into an inner and outer mixing chamber, said sleeve provided with a free unimpeded passa e on the. opposite sides of the middle thereof forming a communication between the inner and outer chambers, a valve controlled inlet connected ,toone end of the outer cylinder, a rigid earth piercing tube connected to the other end of the outer cylinder, and the sleeve disposed along the axis of the outer cylinder.

3, A hydraulic fertilizer distributor comprising an outer cylinder having an opening at each end, a sleeve within the cylinder dividing the same intoan inner and outer mixing chamber, said sleeve provided with a free unimpeded passage on the opposite sides of the middle thereof forming a communicationbetween the inner and outerv chambers, a valve controlled inlet connected to one end of theoutercylinder, a rigid earth piercing tube connected to the other end of the outer cylinder, the sleeve disposed along the axis of the outer cylinder, and the axis of the sleeve being in alignment with the inlet and the earth piercing tube, V

4. A hydraulic fertilizer distributor comprising an outer cylinder having an opening at each end, a, sleeve within the cylinder dividingthe same into an inner and outer mixing chamber, said sleeve provided with afree unimpeded pas,- sage 0n the opposite sides of the middle thereof forming a communication between; theinner; and outer chambers, a valve controlled inlet connected to one-end of the outer cylinder, a rigid earth piercing tube connected to the other end of the outer cylinder, the sleeve disposedalong the axis oi the outer cylinder, theaxis of; the sleeve, bein in alignment with the inlet and; the earth piercing; tube, and the passages between the inner and outer mixing chambersbeing at right angles to the fluidpath thereby iorming a circuitous course. through the mixing chambers. c Y

5. irrigating device comprising an log-shaped head constituting a horizontal and a vertical arrnga hose connection on the free end of the,

said caps each formed with threadedopenings, 0

a hin moun ed th wer thr aded penins. a e v ed b the bushing and extending into the cylinder terminating, in spaced rela: tion to the top, of the cylinder to provide an upper passage between the cylinder and the inside of the tube, said sleeve formediwith, openings adjaa cent the bottom of the sleeve to provide a lower passage between the cylinder and sleeve, an earth piercing tube carried by the; bushing, and a. valve controlled, inlet connected to the threaded open- 7 ing in the other cap.

A hydraulic fertilizer distributor compris ing a cylinderclosed at each end by a removable cap, said'caps each formed with threaded-openings, a bushing mounted in the lower threaded 76 opening, a sleeve carried by the bushing and extending into the cylinder terminating in spaced relation to the top of the cylinder to provide an upper passage between the cylinder and the in* side of the tube, said sleeve formed with openings adjacent the bottom of the sleeve to provide a lower passage between the cylinder and sleeve, an earth piercing tube carried by the bushing, an inlet conductor, valve means in the inlet conductor including a plunger, and an operating handle connected at one end to the plunger and another portion thereof embracing the inlet conductor.

DAYTON S. BRUCE. 

